As state rep for 16th Worcester, O'Brien would target absentee landlords

Thursday

Aug 1, 2013 at 6:00 AMAug 1, 2013 at 8:06 PM

By Alli Knothe TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Editor's note:The fourth in a series profiling the candidates for state representative in the 16th Worcester District.

He's the candidate obsessed with those three-deckers.

"I don't see that as a bad thing," said Democrat James O'Brien, who is running for the seat in the state House of Representatives that was held by John Fresolo, who resigned.

At 44 years old, Mr. O'Brien is the oldest of the five Democratic candidates and said that is an asset for him. "I remember what this district was like 30 years ago," he said.

Mr. O'Brien grew up at 25 Acton St., a three-decker where his mother and grandfather were both born and raised. Seeing a decline in the neighborhood a few years ago, his mother sold her home and moved to West Boylston, he said.

But Mr. O'Brien has never left, and is telling voters that he is ready to represent them at the Statehouse to improve the area and keep people here. His priorities are improving the lives of seniors, reforming the EBT card program, and cracking down on out-of-town landlords.

The problems in the district "has everything to do with owner occupancy," he said.

He said that the issue is that landlords operating from out of town have no concern for the property or the neighborhood but rather do whatever they can to maximize profits. That drags down property values and contributes to high crime rates, driving "good people" into the suburbs.

"The city is taking positive steps," he said, and pointed to the housing department and community development corporations that are improving their performances.

One strategy that will make a big difference, he said, is programs that buy and clean up foreclosed three-deckers and then sell them at a reduced rate to people who agree to live there for 15 years.

He hopes to work with the city on potential legislation that would prevent property taxes from rising for three to five years for homeowners who make structural improvement to their houses.

As for the local economy, Mr. O'Brien said he sees a lot that still needs to be done.

While "Worcester Academy has been stepping up to the plate" to help give the 16th District a boost, "there's not a lot of growth."

He thinks it should be a priority to invest in the medical and biotechnology industries, and encourage local youth to pursue marketable degree programs at community colleges.

Mr. O'Brien also discussed what he believes are needed changes for EBT cards.

"The safety net for some has turned into a hammock (for others)," he said. By cracking down to prevent EBT fraud by requiring a photo on the card and other methods, he said, the state could save millions of dollars. That money could be used to provide financial incentives for supermarkets to discount fresh fruit and vegetables for low-income families.

He said that although things have changed a lot in the district in the last 40 years, Worcester remains an "immigrant gateway."

"Many do have a great work ethic," he said. "Those are the kind of people we want here."

However, Mr. O'Brien added that he thinks it is unfair to those who took "all right steps" if the government allows illegal immigrants to become full citizens.

During a forum in July, Mr. O'Brien raised eyebrows for some, including opponent and single father Khrystian King, when he said that the "breakdown of the two-parent family" was a crisis that needed to be dealt with.

Mr. O'Brien has worked for more than a decade for Elder Services of Worcester Area, and was a transportation manager at the Age Center of Worcester, where he managed the Meals on Wheels program.

"We have an aging population," he said. People ages "50 to 65 are coming up fast on retirement," and living longer.

He said he thinks it is important to prevent cutbacks from programs that provide services to seniors who continue to live at home.

By helping these people, Mr. O'Brien said, the younger generation can continue to work rather than having to quit their jobs or dish out tremendous sums to send a parent to a retirement facility.

"If (people) stop working to take care of their parent, there goes tax revenue," he said.

Mr. O'Brien said that while "Millbury might be a better location" for a slots parlor, he expressed concerns about the effect it will have on traffic in Worcester's Quinsigamond Village.

Regarding the death penalty, Mr. O'Brien said it was "not a great solution," but added that "some crimes are so heinous it should be an option for a judge and 12 jurors."

Although he said he supports the Second Amendment, Mr. O'Brien wants more stringent gun laws.

"Some weapons do not belong in the hands of the general public," he said. He believes that while the tough sentences on gun law violations are a good thing, judges should work harder to prosecute the "teenage gangbangers" and repeat offenders.

"We should be a little more worried about the little old lady walking to church than people living lives as they shouldn't," Mr. O'Brien said.

He has spent the last two years as a transportation manager at East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, and there, he said, his responsibilities include managing about 25 people and balancing a budget, experience he said will come in handy as a state representative.

The 16th Worcester District consists of Grafton Hill, most of Vernon Hill, Quinsigamond Village, Green Island and the Massasoit Road area. The primary election for the five Democratic candidates will be held Aug. 13, and the general election is scheduled for Sept. 10.

If elected, Mr. O'Brien said, he will start moving the 16th in the right direction.

"It's taken 20 years to get into this mess. It's going to take 20 years to get out," he said.

Contact Alli Knothe at aknothe@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @KnotheA